In 1960, Milnor gave an axiomatic characterization of Steenrod homology as an ordinary homology theory on the category of compact metric pairs satisfying the strong excision axiom and the cluster axiom. The subject of this paper is to explore the role of the strong excision axiom on its own. It is proved that for any homology theory on the category of compact metric pairs strong excision is equivalent to strong shape invariance.
Homology, Homotopy and Applications, Vol. 10 (2008), No. 1, pp.345-351.